Smart Gardening

A handful of food delivery robots from Uber Eats and other platforms have gotten kicked and knocked over in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Three new peer-reviewed publications help to fill critical gaps in knowledge about Central America's freshwater ecosystems, which support extraordinary biodiversity but remain among the least-studied ecosystems in the world.

Vattenfall has tested a thermal camera system using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor bird behaviour at its Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore...

Van Oord and Vestas have installed the final wind turbine at the 760 MW Ecowende offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea, completing the...

A new review argues that climate-resilient livestock systems require integrating animal welfare, genetic resources, precision technology and trade-off-aware assessment rather than isolated productivity fixes.

Clay minerals, ultraviolet radiation and soil burial depth jointly control how biodegradable mulch films degrade, with buried films aging faster than surface films.

Massachusetts voters decisively shot down a ballot initiative that would have dismantled the state’s recreational cannabis industry.

Tobacco stem biochar kills Ralstonia solanacearum through temperature-dependent reactive oxygen species while enriching beneficial rhizosphere bacteria.

A narrative review defines herd health management as a continuous cyclic process of planning, implementing and evaluating decisions to promote herd health on livestock farms.

An integrated AIoT platform deployed in a Tunisian olive orchard combines real-time fuzzy-based water quality assessment with LSTM forecasting of irrigation timing and duration.

WorkWave adds AI tools to RealGreen and PestPac to help businesses track stalled quotes, customer retention, and sales opportunities.

A new review synthesizes international evidence on how antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes move through meat, dairy, eggs, produce, and seafood, and outlines One Health strategies to curb the threat.

A field trial across three Haryana sites found that organic substrates inoculated with indigenous salt-tolerant bacteria significantly reduced soil salinity at multiple depths and raised organic carbon and phosphorus availability within one growing season.

India’s ethanol-blending rate for gasoline could fall below its 20% target as a drought forces New Delhi to prioritize food supplies Read Full Article at RT.com

LOS ANGELES — Agriculture depends on the exchange of practical knowledge, timely information, and experience between farmers, researchers, suppliers, and rural communities. As digital communication becomes more important across the agricultural industry, organizations are exploring new ways to explain farming practices, introduce innovations, and share information with audiences who have different levels of technical knowledge. […] The post How Digital Storytelling Is Helping Agriculture Reach Modern Audiences appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.

Van Oord and Vestas have installed the final wind turbine at the 760 MW Ecowende offshore wind farm in the Dutch North Sea, completing the...

Learn how the spread of H5N1 avian influenza among dairy farms in Washington State led to the first human bird flu death in the U.S. in 2026.  

Syngenta’s Jeff Cecil explains how AI-powered forecasting could help ag retailers optimize crop protection inventories, reduce costs, and better anticipate demand. The post Can AI Help Ag Retailers Stop Guessing on Inventory? appeared first on CropLife.

New research funded by the [foundationfar.org]Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research’s (FFAR) Growing Impact Award could help plant breeders and farmers respond more rapidly to food production needs. FFAR and matching funders Iowa State University (ISU), KeyGene, KWS and RAGT are providing a combined investment of $960,107 to ISU researchers to improve doubled haploid technology, […] The post New Research Aims to Speed Delivery of Improved Crops to Farmers   appeared first on CropLife.

A study of 394 topsoil samples in Daye, China, found that cadmium drove ecological risk, arsenic dominated carcinogenic risk and copper defined the contamination footprint, with sources tracking ore type rather than distance to mines.

A new transcriptomic study shows that terrestrial diets shift fatty acid gene expression in Gammarus locusta, while warmer rearing temperatures speed growth but coincide with reduced long-term survival.

The new study by Newcastle University and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) offers a practical roadmap for tracking progress toward halting species extinctions by 2050. It guides users from understanding where species are most at risk in a given area, through taking action to reduce species threats, to measuring the real-world impact of conservation efforts on reducing species extinction risk over time.

A new mini-review argues that precision fermentation will only scale when strain design, bioreactor intensification, real-time control, and techno-economic assessment are integrated from the start.

Fish that are cultivated in pools or ponds are an increasingly important source of food around the world. Unfortunately, disease outbreaks can cause substantial losses in aquaculture.

Cold conditions may not have been responsible for the centuries-long pause in the spread of farming across south-eastern Europe during prehistory, according to a new study by the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) in Germany, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers found no evidence of extreme cold at the Greek archaeological site of Franchthi, nor any statistically significant link between local temperature fluctuations and changes in how people obtained their food.

Hundreds of millions of metric tons of plastics are produced every year, and most of them end up sitting in landfills or polluting natural environments after use. These plastics endure for dozens to hundreds of years. But some scientists are on the lookout for solutions to this problem. And now, one team of researchers might have found a potential solution in bee nests. Their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that a natural plastic made by bees may offer design lessons for plastics that degrade naturally in far less time.

More than a century after they were excavated from beneath Cairo, almost 3,000 stone tools from Heliopolis show that specialized work was already reshaping village life before Egypt became a state.

IIT Kharagpur and Absolute join the Quad’s inaugural AI-ENGAGE cohort to develop Smart Scout, an AI-powered system for soybean monitoring, pest detection, crop damage assessment and yield estimation.

Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale reportedly backs a US startup planning a 30,000 capacity monkey farm amid rising prices and restricted international supplies.

When we think about Antarctica, many people imagine penguins, seals and whales. However, the majority of Antarctica's scientific wonders cannot be seen without a microscope. These microbial communities form the foundation of Antarctic ecosystems yet remain largely invisible to most visitors.

Nearly 200 countries recently came together in Armenia for the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference to review progress toward halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Many of these governments will soon convene again in Turkey to discuss efforts to tackle climate change at COP31.

Michigan-based Exedy Drones says first deliveries are targeted for spring 2027, subject to engineering, FAA, dealer and production readiness. The post Exedy Drones opens reservations amid US spray drone shakeup appeared first on AgFunderNews.

A new study led by Dr. Shikma Zaarur of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in collaboration with Dr. Ran Erel of the Agricultural Research Organization–Volcani Institute, reveals that agricultural soils may contain a substantial unaccounted-for reservoir of potassium, an essential nutrient for plant growth, that is largely overlooked by conventional soil testing methods. The findings could pave the way for more precise fertilizer recommendations, potentially reducing unnecessary fertilizer use while supporting sustainable agricultural production.

One of the main obstacles to the commercial application of biodiesel is the influence of the raw material fatty acid composition on its properties

An analysis by Japan’s GMO Internet Group found that a North Korea-linked hacking group was likely behind the cyberattack on the company last month, sources close to the matter said, citing characteristics of the malware used and other traces left by the perpetrators. The company appears to have already reported the matter to the government and will now focus on determining the full circumstances. Kyodo News, working with security experts, also found that five IP addresses used to access a...

CropLife Editor Eric Sfiligoj and Amy Asmus, Co-Owner of Asmus Farm Supply are joined by Dan Bjorklund, Technical Agronomy Lead from Landus Cooperative to break down early harvest trends and critical fall agronomy decisions for ag retailers. The post CropLife Retail Week: Fall Anhydrous Truths, Drone Scouting, and Iowa Harvest appeared first on CropLife.

Iran is seeking to expand agricultural cooperation with African countries, focusing on joint investment, technology transfer and food security.

Countries renewed their promises to protect wildlife at U.N. talks in Armenia, but how to cover the costs remains a question.

In the Texas Panhandle, two livestock guardian dogs patrol a herd of cattle grazing the Rita Blanca National Grasslands. Although their singular focus is protecting the herd from would-be predators, their presence may make them wildlife conservation allies.

Science can't study a species—or unlock its potential to change the world—until people actually know it exists. Four new species of frogs have now been given names, thanks to the efforts of FIU biologist Alessandro Catenazzi.

The rice disease bacterial leaf blight (for short: BB) is causing significant yield losses in Asia and Africa. It is triggered by the bacterium Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), which has many distinct regional strains on various continents.

By: Victoria Tenor In January 2026, Canada took a step forward in agricultural biotechnology by approving the country’s first gene-edited (GE) mammal for human consumption. … The post Canada Approves its First Gene-edited Pig for Human Consumption appeared first on SAIFood.

A new artificial strawberry stem mimics natural bending behavior and withstands repeated cutting and healing, offering a low-cost platform for agricultural robotics research.

A survey of 376 farms in four European countries shows that compensatory payments sustain farmers' intentions to maintain agroforestry, while abolishing support sharply lowers both maintenance and adoption intentions.

A 32-day factorial field trial in a Chinese greenhouse found that plastic-film mulching reduced bacterial richness and diversity while raising fungal diversity, with inoculant effects depending on mulching status.

A new review finds that a single alkaline pretreatment can convert agricultural waste into both water-purifying bioadsorbents and cellulose precursors for biopolymers, though real-wastewater performance and industrial scale-up remain unproven.

A new review describes how plant-derived extracellular vesicles carry stress-responsive proteins and RNAs between cells and may enable RNA-based crop protection.

Soil fungus Aspergillus terreus MAK153 suppresses Fusarium oxysporum growth and zearalenone production while producing simvastatin, which docking simulations link to ergosterol biosynthesis enzymes.

In a two-year Jordanian field trial, 48 rapeseed accessions irrigated with saline water and treated wastewater produced up to 4.49 tonnes of seed per hectare while removing 78.48–111.60 kg of sodium per hectare each year.

Controlled laboratory fires killed every fertilized and unfertilized ponderosa pine sapling at the highest tested intensity, showing pre-fire nitrogen offers no protection.

A 2026 review finds that propolis, the resinous bee glue honeybees use to seal their hives, shows species-dependent promise as a natural immunostimulant, antimicrobial and antiparasitic additive in aquaculture, with ethanolic extracts outperforming aqueous and crude forms.

Soil surveys at Tibet's Yangbajing geothermal field show that mercury, arsenic and antimony anomalies trace fluid migration paths and record how the system responded to decades of exploitation.

A qualitative study of cocoa, banana by-product and blackberry producers in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia links tailored financial education training to stronger internal governance in short food supply chains.

A survey of 150 smallholder dairy farmers in Ethiopia's Siltie Zone found that 60 percent had never heard of aflatoxins and 90 percent had never seen mold on feed, revealing severe knowledge gaps about a toxin that can pass from contaminated feeds into milk.

A new opinion article argues that fermented dairy lipids show anti-inflammatory potential, but a clear link to chronic disease remains unproven.

A handful of soil holds a crowded world of bacteria, fungi and other organisms. Scientists can collect their DNA, but much of it remains difficult to identify. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and partner institutions have developed an artificial intelligence tool that helps make sense of this genetic puzzle.

A controlled incubation study reports that persistent free radicals on biochar surfaces redirect straw-derived carbon toward mineral-associated organic matter in two contrasting agricultural soils.

A qualitative study in rural Burkina Faso finds that mothers and local stakeholders see home gardens as a promising way to improve child nutrition, but face barriers of labour, water access, land rights and climate risks.

A study of Aleppo pine forests in eastern Spain finds that recurrent fires reduce soil fungal phylogenetic diversity, favor Basidiomycota and ectomycorrhizal lineages, and elevate nitrogen- and phosphorus-mobilizing enzyme activities, with tree phenotypes rather than climate or soil conditions primarily shaping these underground communities.

A qualitative study of 41 Spanish food purchasers finds broad sympathy for smallholders but little willingness to buy fresh produce through e-marketplace platforms.

A perspective in Annals of Forest Science argues that strategically designed common garden networks, including suboptimal sites, are essential for revealing the adaptive capacity of forest trees under climate change.

A qPCR study of Karan Fries cows found MFGE8 and PDIA3 upregulated in high yielders while S100A8 and RAGE were elevated in low yielders.

A rat study found that ethanolic extracts of garden cress seeds and custard apple leaves, especially in combination, reduced blood glucose, insulin resistance and tissue damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Over three extreme growing seasons in Rio Grande do Sul, diversified cropping systems with cover crops reached yields up to 76 percent above the state average while simplified farms suffered sharp year-to-year swings.

A global meta-analysis of 932 paired observations shows biochar boosts microbial biomass, necromass, and soil organic carbon more strongly in nitrogen-poor cropland soils, with distinct stabilization pathways in each soil type.

A new open-access database describes forest structure, biomass and silvicultural management at 583 forested sites of the French Soil Quality Monitoring Network across surveys in 2006–2007 and 2024.

A new perspective argues that genomics has shifted from a specialized pursuit of well-funded labs to a routine tool now applied to crops, wild populations and non-model organisms such as the North American honey bee.

Mars-owned Royal Canin and ingredients supplier Roquette will co-invest in the farms from which they source that wheat. The post Agrifood corporates find a new model for financing regenerative agriculture via Soil Capital partnership appeared first on AgFunderNews.

Farming, dams and agricultural runoff are the biggest threats to freshwater biodiversity globally, with Europe and Northwest Africa the hardest-hit regions, McGill researchers have found.

A system dynamics simulation of nearly 2,000 Chinese family farms finds green subsidies are the strongest single policy for green development, but a phased strategy of subsidies first and credit and standardization later best preserves coordination among subsystems.

A field trial in Peru's Chira Valley found that reducing rice irrigation volumes by up to 23.5% raised irrigation water productivity by up to 28% without statistically significant differences in grain yield or most grain quality traits.

A study using two waves of Malawi's Integrated Household Survey finds agricultural input subsidies are associated with better nutrition among children under five, while food security alone showed no significant influence.

A prospective study of 609 patients found that saline irrigation absorption during bipolar TURP was associated with rising plasma chloride and metabolic acidification in 62.1% of cases.

A new review finds machine learning outperforms traditional linear models in predicting poultry nutrient requirements, with big data enabling precise, real-time diet formulation.

A study of 7,794 Chinese farming households finds agricultural socialized services boost green productivity only after provision crosses a critical threshold.

Keurig's new brewer promises full flavor without the waste — here's how it actually performs.

"Taking Action for Nature" was the theme of CoP 17, the UN Biodiversity Conference 2026, which is drawing to a close in Yerevan, Armenia. A new analysis of African national biodiversity strategies and action plans shows how academic and research institutions can respond to this theme and help translate scientific evidence into taking action for nature.

A study of a Connecticut brackish salt marsh found that invasive Phragmites australis was associated with shifts in soil bacterial community composition and predicted functions, even though overall microbial diversity and soil carbon and nitrogen stocks were unchanged.

A randomised trial of 400 Ugandan smallholder farmers found that training in conservation agriculture with biochar raised total labour use by about 36 percent, shifted the burden onto family labour, and produced no significant labour productivity gains.

A probabilistic model estimates annual BVDV-related losses of about KRW 12.9 million for a 50-head Hanwoo farm and KRW 11.1 million for a 100-head dairy farm in Korea.

A laboratory study of the green lacewing Chrysopa formosa found that 100 to 120 days of cold storage at 5 degrees Celsius best balances diapause termination with post-diapause survival and reproduction.

An archetypal analysis of 3,810 Flemish dairy farms identifies four business model configurations, with 74 percent of farms showing hybrid membership across them.

The new EU project TETTRIX will present its plan for an integrated European taxonomic system at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan, arguing that species protection depends on identifying and monitoring them.

A controlled-environment study found that successive plantings of susceptible soybean in nematode-infested soil restructured rhizosphere, root and cyst microbiomes and drove SCN egg densities down to stable low levels.

A study of poultry farms in three regions of Cameroon found heavy metal contamination in chicken meat, liver, and eggs, with estimated exposures exceeding safety thresholds for some younger and high-consuming groups.

Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Hani Sewilam affirmed deep-rooted relations between Egypt and Uganda and Egypt’s commitment to further strengthening bilateral cooperation, building on development projects already implemented to serve citizens and support sustainable development efforts in Uganda. Sewilam made the remarks during a meeting with Uganda’s Minister of Water and Environment Kahinda Otafiire … The post Egypt committed to supporting sustainable development in Uganda – Irrigation Minister appeared first on Egypt Independent.

Scientists have computationally designed a multi-epitope chimeric vaccine candidate against Taenia tapeworms in livestock, with all results so far limited to in silico analysis.

A decade-long study of Guangdong Province found that livestock-free zone policies reduced local farm emissions but shifted roughly three times that amount to neighboring regions.

A meta-analysis of 31 studies found no statistically significant pooled effect of plant essential oils on milk yield or methane-related outcomes in dairy cows, with very high between-study heterogeneity.

Tracer experiments show Plantago lanceolata and Picea abies seedlings can take up labelled carbon via roots, but recovery in soil stays below one percent.

A ten-year Bayesian spatio-temporal analysis of Inner Mongolia finds livestock inventory, GDP per capita and temperature associated with higher human brucellosis risk, while vegetation greenness is linked to lower risk.

Blending PBS and PBAT at different ratios tunes strength, moisture barrier, hydrophobicity and UV shielding of biodegradable packaging films without compatibilizers.

A study of two Vojvodina farms finds regenerative management can match conventional yields, though short-term profits remain unstable.

A new conceptual study proposes a framework for integrating circular economy and zero-waste principles into hydroponic farming, reporting modelled freshwater savings of 40 to 70 percent while stressing that empirical validation is still needed.

A new review maps how zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, carbon-based, silica, silver, selenium and copper nanoparticles could boost crops while warning of soil, plant and food-chain hazards.

A 30-day pig manure composting experiment found that suppressing fungal activity increased the removal of antibiotic resistance genes from 34.32% to 51.50%.

A dynamic panel study of 41 African countries finds rice-area intensity negatively associated with young women's NEET rates, but the authors caution the fragile, specification-dependent result supports no causal policy claim.

A scoping review of 197 studies finds substantial WASH and STH evidence but identifies persistent gaps in food chain pathways, environmental surveillance and service coverage measures.

You've got to scale up in steps before you start to build these large-scale facilities," says founder Daniel Tzvetkoff. The post Stacked Farm outlines the long game for vertical farming ahead of US expansion appeared first on AgFunderNews.